Summary

Strobel has decided that there are eight major objections to Christianity which act as stumbling blocks on the path to spirituality. They are:

If there's a loving God, why does this pain-wracked world groan under so much suffering and evil? (Problem of evil)

If the miracles of God contradict science, then how can any rational person believe that they're true?

If God is morally pure, how can he sanction the slaughter of innocent children as the Old Testament says he did?

If God cares about the people he created, how could he consign so many of them to an eternity of torture in hell just because they didn't believe the right things about him?

If Jesus is the only way to heaven, then what about the millions of people who have never heard of him?

If God really created the universe, why does the evidence of science compel so many to conclude that the unguided process of evolution accounts for life?

If God is the ultimate overseer of the church, why has it been rife with hypocrisy and brutality throughout the ages?

If I'm still plagued by doubts, then is it still possible to be a Christian?

Strobel poses these objections to eight prominent Christian apologists and lets them make "the case for faith."

Counter-apologetics issues

Although Strobel claimed to be an atheist when he started this book, many readers have pointed out that he did a very bad job supporting the atheist position. Furthermore, he conducted interviews only with Christian apologists, and none with atheists or skeptics. He has claimed that the book is balanced because he himself is arguing against the apologists, but at many points in the book he appears extremely reluctant to challenge his subjects.

Outline

Objection #1: Since Evil and Suffering Exist, A Loving God Cannot

Objection #2: Since Miracles Contradict Science, They Cannot Be True

Objection #3: Evolution Explains Life, So God Isn't Needed

Objection #4: God Isn't Worthy of Worship If He Kills Innocent Children